St. Augustine's to become university

The Board of Trustees at Saint Augustine's College announced Friday that the school will transition into becoming a university by Aug. 1.

"This isn't just a name change," said President Dianne Boardley Suber. "We're committed to changing the way we do business."

The school said it has completely changed the general education courses for the incoming freshman class. The new courses are required of all freshmen and sophomores and will be geared towards ensuring students are able to compete in the work force or attend graduate level programs following graduation.

The University will move towards offering its first master's degree program as early as 2014.

Saint Augustine's has created Centers of Excellence for the new university. There will be a Center for Forensic Discovery and the Center for Applied Medical Sciences. A third center will be the Center for Athletic Facilities and Sports Management. An additional center of excellence being considered is the Center for Athletic Scholarship.

"The University will focus on being NCAA championship contenders while continuing to raise the four-year graduation rates of student athletes," said Suber.

While the complete branding package is still under development, preparations for the name change will begin next month. Full implementation will take place this summer including the launch of a new Saint Augustine's University web site and revised materials for new student orientation and prospective student events.

"When students return in the fall, we will officially be Saint Augustine's University not only in name, but also in look and feel," said Marc Newman, Vice President of Institutional Advancement and Development.